FFXII! Why I think Balthier is hawt. :D Basch Appreciation!

This is an odd morning. I woke up at 3 am after falling asleep playing a bunch of FFXII. I'm really taking my time with the game -- I absolutely LOVE the plot and the setting and all, but I also have a bit of that obsessive gamer in me that makes me want to do all the hunts and earn money for awesome equipment and fill my characters' license grids all early. So that's what I've been doing a lot of. ^^; I've got something like 35? hours logged and I'm only about to go to Bur-Omisace. Either the game is shorter than I thought or I'm just fucking slow at playing it, I don't know! Or care! :D

So anyway ever since then I've been awake. For a while I was toying with the last post, trying to iron out some kinks with the rules, but then I realized I could get obsessive in a BAD way about altering it over and over, so I stopped. Got into talking about FFXII with Lumi since she's been kinda insomnic, too, and she loves the game so much! Even if she can't talk plot stuff with me now I have tons of fun giggling with her about the hawtness of FFXII guys. For her it's Basch and Vossler... for me, Balthier. Mmm mmm good.

What's there not to like about Balthier? :D In fact, I think there's so much to like about him that I fear knowing what other fangirls think. >.> Anyway, besides being a skypirate with an agenda I've not quite figured out yet (and can't mention here anyway without it being spoily!) he has an impeccable fashion taste. (If you know me, you know that's a big plus in my book! The fact his fashion includes hawt leather pants is beside the point. -_^) And his mannerisms are just... delicious. :D He's the type of guy that tries to give the impression he's all aloof and carefree, a man who does what he wants and employs questionable methods to do so. But even where I am in the game I can already figure that he must have much more serious reasons to do what he does, and some of that attitude is just a front. It's still adorable, though. :D

I am especially pleased he can be that type of man without attaching the womanizer aspect to it. I'm really turned off by promiscuity. It doesn't bother me as much if it's just a front, and the flirting never goes further than being superficial, or only goes so far as it needs to in order to obtain whatever favor/information/etc. is needed. But I am much more respectful of men who are loyal in heart and body. To me, commitment is much harder to have for multiple people or causes than for one exclusively. It's just common sense -- sooner or later, if you're devoted to more than one, you'll be put in a position to choose between them. Either you balance your time between them, so that all get as equal a share as you can give, but never the full extent of your devotion, or you give up one and commit to the other fully.

(At least if a person wants to have multiple lovers they ought to make it known they are that type of person. Either that it's just casual sex or that they are polyamorous... whatever the reason, it should be obvious right from the start. Polyamory sounds like a nightmare to me anyway; I have more than enough trouble balancing out other aspects of my life to even attempt balancing my attention for and my desire to be with multiple lovers.)

I just find full, committed, single-minded loyalty a very attractive trait, whether it's in games or in RL. The example in RL is quite obvious: I have Jon... he is loyal to me for life. He is mine. I am his. In games, we often end up with our characters paired simply because I know very few people who will play that sort of commitment and stick to it, body, heart and soul. One exception is Blaine, whom I recently RPed a little more of in the Amy B&B scene... and he pretty much embodies my ideals of loyalty, by being completely and utterly devoted to his lady, loving her in silence, committed to loving her even if she chooses not to return it. More or less he does for Amy what Jon did for me in RL. ^^; I haven't a clue what Amy will think of it, but I love playing it, I love that sense of purpose Blaine has and the knowledge that it cannot be broken -- except by extraordinary (and I mean Solar level extraordinary) means.

So as I was saying, Balthier is not going around wasting his time chasing vapid skirts, which can only meet with my total approval. On the other hand, he is gentlemanly, which some might interpret as flirty -- but he's not leading any women on, he's not taking advantage of them, he's not promising more than he would willingly give. And, thank freaking goodness, he is not using his "smooth moves" to take scores of women to his bed. THANK GOODNESS FFXII IS NOT EXALTED. *coughs* It's rare I'll RP a character that falls for that sort of thing -- if I do (and yes, I have), it's likely one of two things. I'm either being nice, wanting the players to have fun... or I'm craving the attention, due to a lack of belief in my self-worth. Or both.

Fortunately, Balthier is a video game character, and I am perfectly content with ogling him and his sexy pants on a screen, and thinking of cute Balthier and Fran romance stuff. ^_^ I'm hoping that there is a Balthier x Fran fanlisting, or that someone creates one, because I would so join it! I just recently added a lil' graphic of Basch's pant tassel (on the left there) to show my support for the "Campaign Aganst Basch Abuse". 'Cause the poor guy goes through hell throughout the course of FFXII, and hey, I like to show support for my fangirl friends' obsessions too!

Now that I think of it, Basch is another good example of loyalty -- in his case, loyalty to a cause, and to a people. Loyalty enough that he willingly endures every last bit of hatred and ire unfairly thrown his way in order to continue serving that cause. Loyalty enough that he is not dissuaded even if those he would liberate are the same who vilify his very existence. Now that, to me, is a sure sign of a man with courage and integrity, more than worthy of love and respect. Vossler shares that trait too, which just makes me think that Lumi has great taste in men. -_^

Now if only someone would give poor Basch a fashion makeover. o.O Though his outfit has the perk of showing his hawt, toned abs... and you can't go wrong with hawt, toned abs! :D